Married With Children’s Ed O’Neill opens up about his BITTER feud with co-star Amanda Bearse – revealing what he REALLY thinks sparked their years-long fallout

Married With Children’s Ed O’Neill has revealed what sparked the bitter feud between him and co-star Amanda Bearse – and why he wishes he could take it all back.

The 77-year-old actor – who recently made headlines when he shared that he wanted to join the mafia – lifted the lid on the years-long conflict between him and his 65-year-old co-star.

Ed, who also appeared on Modern Family, opened up about the dispute while talking about Jesse Tyler Ferguson Dinner is for me podcast.

He explained that the initial conflict came after he refused to stand up for Amanda – adding that he now “regrets” it.

The 77-year-old actor lifted the lid on the years-long conflict between him and his 65-year-old co-star (featured in 1994 season nine of Married With Children)

After the duo talked about the sensational chemistry between the stars of the hit soap, Ed delved into the issues between him and Amanda.

He said: “I did something on the show involving Amanda Bearse that I regretted. We didn’t get along well, but we did for a long time. We were good friends. And I can guess, I don’t want to speak for her, but it started when we got the cover of TV Guide.

“She and David Garrison were the neighbors, and they were told they couldn’t be on the cover. Because they had a rule: only a limited number could be on the cover.

“Now they violated that for two shows, I think it was MASH, and Dallas. That was an exception, they didn’t do it for us,” he explained.

He noted that his co-star wanted him to stand up for her and other cast members who wouldn’t be on the cover.

However, for fear of losing cover altogether, Ed decided to keep quiet and tell Amanda there was nothing he could do.

He added: ‘We were lucky to get it. It was like sixth year or something, and we were thrilled when we got the cover of TV Guide. It was big. And Amanda and David came out of their dressing room in unison.

“We were on stage and she said, ‘We expect you to go to (co-creator) Ron Leavitt and tell him this isn’t working. We’re all on the cover.’

He explained that the conflict arose after he refused to stand up for Amanda – adding that he now ‘regrets’ it (Amanda seen in 2022)

He noted that his co-star wanted him to stand up for her and other cast members who would not be on the cover (featured on the sitcom in 1987).

“If I had been diplomatic, I should have said, ‘Okay, I’ll talk to him about it.’ But instead I said, ‘No, I won’t. I’m sorry you’re not on the cover.

‘ ‘Really and truly! I wish you were, but there’s nothing we can do about it. What do you want me to do? Lying to you and saying I’m going to fight for you. I do not do that.’ ‘

After revealing the truth behind the conflict, Jesse asked his friend if he wished he could go back in time and fight for his opponent.

‘Yes, I would have. And I regret that,” Ed said.

Married With Children ran for eleven seasons and captured the hearts of fans as it followed the lives of a hilarious Chicago family.

It earned the cover of TV Guide in 1989. It is still a fan favorite and can be streamed on Hulu.

Married With Children ran for eleven seasons and captured the hearts of fans as it followed the lives of a hilarious Chicago family

It earned the cover of TV Guide in 1989. It is still a fan favorite and can be streamed on Hulu

In the same interview, Ed revealed that he almost turned to a life of crime before turning to acting.

The Modern Family star said he had “no idea” what to do next, admitting on Jesse’s podcast that he was considering organized crime.

“Youngstown was not a good place to live. There was nothing for me,” O’Neill admitted on the podcast, a month after declaring he would return his honorary degree to Youngstown State University after they selected a Trump-backed congressman as the school’s new president.

“The only thing I could have done, and thank God I didn’t, was organized crime,” O’Neill said.

“I had friends in organized crime,” he said, referring to a friend named Jim from his hometown of Youngstown.